Dear Diary,
Today I was walking around just minding my own business when I saw Dewey Dell. She looked innocent enough but I am smarter than that. I knew something was up. Sure enough I was right. When I saw her, she was walking out of the cotton field with one of the neighbors' helpers, Lafe. I know what kind of person Dewey Dell is and know that she picks cotton with Lafe. This is when I figured it out. Lafe and Dewey Dell have done the act and sure enough, she is pregnant. I didn't say anything to her but she knows I know. I don't know how, but I just have a way with people like that. I don't really know how I feel about this whole mess but i think I will just keep it between you, myself and Dewey Dell. I plan on talking to her very soon. Well that's all I have to say for now.
My mother is a fish,
though i do not wish,
to eat her on a dish
when i killed that fish,
it's guts went squish
It made me sad,
and a little bit mad
I owe it all to my dad,
I am a rather small lad
Or is the fault with Peabody?
I know his work is rather shoddy
Now my mom is but a body
I found his horse
It's coat was coarse
His horses were beaten and he doesn't know the source
but i do.
I am... Vardaman Blabberize on one of Vardaman's section http://apimages.ap.org Extended Response: Vardaman
Well i now think that my mother is a fish. Darl says that jewel's mother is a horse and Darl has no mother so mine is a fish. Does that mean I killed my own mother? Does that mean, like Darl, I now have no mother? I hope now. I would like to have a mother. Is my mother really dead? I don't even know! I just really want that train in town. Oh how I want tat train. I certainly hope that Santa doesn't take it away. Ooo well, at least I can still catch fish. I think Dewey Dell said she saw one in the bog! But daddy said that I can't catch fish there. Did Dewey Dell lie? Why would she lie to me? Maybe I'll just go to the river and fish there like pa said. What if I find someone else's mother?!
Oh silly Anse. You would not be able to understand how pathetic you all look. Though you all may be too stupid to see everyone's greed, I am not. You are all down there struggling to get me over the river and carry me to Jefferson when I don't even care! Maybe if you were not such a jerk and gave me Darl, you wouldn't be in this predicament. At least Jewel has the sense to get something done, and he's not even your child! I pity Tull who has to hold your hand over the water you lazy clown! Ugh! you just disgust me! All of your children are such failures! I am so glad I don't have to be there right now dealing with all of you. I am happy I'm dead! If only I hadn't married you, I could have been with Whitfield. He's the only man I ever cared about. You made my life miserable! I would wish you were dead but then I would have to deal with you here! The only two people who have any sense around you are Jewel and Tull. Sadly though, Tull does everything for you. He should give you a smack in the face and make you cross the river by yourself like a real man! You even got your mules killed. oh well. At least now I have some peace... some un-violated peace.
http://apimages.ap.org
This is a picture of the the family trying to cross the river to get to Jefferson. The two mules died, and as Vardaman explains, they laid belly up with their legs stiff. Addie's coffin is somewhere in the river and Cash cannot swim. POEM BY ADDIE
I am married to a man named Anse
He's so lazy, he doesn't even pick up his pants.
We had four children and then we ceased
I had an affair with Whitfield, the preist.
With him I had jewel, the bastard child,
with Anse came Darl, Cash, Dewey Dell and and Vardaman,
without me, they'd all be running wild.
I had my job as a school teacher,
the only man i ever loved was that preacher.
I hated my life, I'm not much of a charmer,
and sadly, I decided to marry a farmer.
but do you want to know what made me happy the most?
strapping the children to the whipping post. http://apimages.ap.org Wordle on one of Cash's sections
this is the section where Cash is thinking about the coffin and how it will not be balanced on the wagon. He is obsessed with his work and this is all he is thinking about.
By: William Faulkner
Jarrett Lehman
Diary entry response
Dear Diary,
Today I was walking around just minding my own business when I saw Dewey Dell. She looked innocent enough but I am smarter than that. I knew something was up. Sure enough I was right. When I saw her, she was walking out of the cotton field with one of the neighbors' helpers, Lafe. I know what kind of person Dewey Dell is and know that she picks cotton with Lafe. This is when I figured it out. Lafe and Dewey Dell have done the act and sure enough, she is pregnant. I didn't say anything to her but she knows I know. I don't know how, but I just have a way with people like that. I don't really know how I feel about this whole mess but i think I will just keep it between you, myself and Dewey Dell. I plan on talking to her very soon. Well that's all I have to say for now.
Until next time,
DARL
Vardaman stares in amazement at his bloody mess after he tries to clean out the fish that he caught.
Poem: Vardaman
http://apimages.ap.org
My mother is a fish,
though i do not wish,
to eat her on a dish
when i killed that fish,
it's guts went squish
It made me sad,
and a little bit mad
I owe it all to my dad,
I am a rather small lad
Or is the fault with Peabody?
I know his work is rather shoddy
Now my mom is but a body
I found his horse
It's coat was coarse
His horses were beaten and he doesn't know the source
but i do.
I am... Vardaman
Blabberize on one of Vardaman's section
http://apimages.ap.org
Extended Response: Vardaman
Well i now think that my mother is a fish. Darl says that jewel's mother is a horse and Darl has no mother so mine is a fish. Does that mean I killed my own mother? Does that mean, like Darl, I now have no mother? I hope now. I would like to have a mother. Is my mother really dead? I don't even know! I just really want that train in town. Oh how I want tat train. I certainly hope that Santa doesn't take it away. Ooo well, at least I can still catch fish. I think Dewey Dell said she saw one in the bog! But daddy said that I can't catch fish there. Did Dewey Dell lie? Why would she lie to me? Maybe I'll just go to the river and fish there like pa said. What if I find someone else's mother?!
http://apimages.ap.org
ADDIE'S REACTION TO TULL'S SECTION
Oh silly Anse. You would not be able to understand how pathetic you all look. Though you all may be too stupid to see everyone's greed, I am not. You are all down there struggling to get me over the river and carry me to Jefferson when I don't even care! Maybe if you were not such a jerk and gave me Darl, you wouldn't be in this predicament. At least Jewel has the sense to get something done, and he's not even your child! I pity Tull who has to hold your hand over the water you lazy clown! Ugh! you just disgust me! All of your children are such failures! I am so glad I don't have to be there right now dealing with all of you. I am happy I'm dead! If only I hadn't married you, I could have been with Whitfield. He's the only man I ever cared about. You made my life miserable! I would wish you were dead but then I would have to deal with you here! The only two people who have any sense around you are Jewel and Tull. Sadly though, Tull does everything for you. He should give you a smack in the face and make you cross the river by yourself like a real man! You even got your mules killed. oh well. At least now I have some peace... some un-violated peace.
This is a picture of the the family trying to cross the river to get to Jefferson. The two mules died, and as Vardaman explains, they laid belly up with their legs stiff. Addie's coffin is somewhere in the river and Cash cannot swim.
POEM BY ADDIE
I am married to a man named Anse
He's so lazy, he doesn't even pick up his pants.
We had four children and then we ceased
I had an affair with Whitfield, the preist.
With him I had jewel, the bastard child,
with Anse came Darl, Cash, Dewey Dell and and Vardaman,
without me, they'd all be running wild.
I had my job as a school teacher,
the only man i ever loved was that preacher.
I hated my life, I'm not much of a charmer,
and sadly, I decided to marry a farmer.
but do you want to know what made me happy the most?
strapping the children to the whipping post.
http://apimages.ap.org
Wordle on one of Cash's sections
this is the section where Cash is thinking about the coffin and how it will not be balanced on the wagon. He is obsessed with his work and this is all he is thinking about.